Can and cover assembling machine



p 12, 1939. L. J. WILLIAMS 2,172,966

CAN ANb COVER ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 q INVENTOR. 4 [ff/Y? J W/ZM4W/ BY 4% 8 F ZW.

Sept. 12., 1939. L. J; WILLIAMS CAN AND COVER ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. [ff/7W1 l V/ZZ/M/f TTORNEY.

Sept. 12, 1939. L. J. WILLIAMS 2,172,966

CAN AND COVER ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR [ff/2W1 Mam/r Sept. 12, 1939.- L. J. WILLIAMS CAN AND COVER ASSEMBLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 21, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR M w m M m M Y B Patented Sept 12, 1939 UNITE D STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

Lester J. Williams, Canastota, N; Y., assignor to Carl Braun, Inc., Oanastota'. N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application October 21, 1935, Serial No. 45;.995

3 Claims.

This invention relates to can washing mechanism' or apparatus and especially to improved mechanism for washing can tops or covers and particularly milk can covers and to mechanism for delivering said washed and cleaned covers on to tops of similarly washed and cleaned cans by means operating automatically and in synchronism with the mechanism which washes and advances the covers and the cans through the apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and useful improvement over the invention set forth in my application Ser. No. 468,184 filed July 15, 1930, entitled Can and cover washing machine.

A further object is to provide mechanism in which the washed covers are delivered to the can tops regardless of the height of the can.

Further and more specific objects, features and advantages will more clearly appear from a consideration of the drawings hereinafter which form part of the specification and which illustrate a present preferred form which the invention may assume.

Briefly and generally considered, the invention 25 set forth herein comprises one form in which the can covers are washed; cleaned. and advanced. Near the end of their'travel they are in the illustrated embodiment flipped over to horizontal position by a change in the relation of their supporting tracks and are brought to rest on an inclined platform where they are heldin a definite position by latch means until a can is brought beneath them and elevated to such position as to release the latch and allow the cover to slide off the inclined platform on top of the can. In this form the can is Washed and then uprighted on to a rollerconveyor normally in a position of inclination which will cause the cans as soon as they are dropped on the conveyor to move laterally to 40- another plane or position which will bring them beneath the plane of the covers to be dropped thereon. The conveyor is. periodically elevated to bring the tops of the cans into position beneath the covers and so that cans of varying height will 45- nevertheless be properly aligned for reception'of the covers.

Another form of the invention shown herein is that in which the covers are washed as before but in which the cans after being uprighted are left in this position and the covers are displaced from their own plane of advance laterally into the plane of the can bodies. To this end the covers are washed and then flipped over to horizontal position and pushed onto a tiltable platform covers laterally from their own plane of movement to the plane of movement of the-cans where they Will drop-on-top of a can which has just been uprighted, thetiltable platform being withdrawn from cover applying position as the can is inverted.

The drawingswhich illustrate present preferred forms which the invention may assume are only indicative of some forms of the invention and in Which Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of the delivery endof the washing machine;

Fig. 2is anend elevation of the delivery end;

Fig; 3- is a plan view of the delivery end of the Washing machine;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the means for releasing can covers from the inclined platform;

Fig. 5isa sideelevation'of the delivery end of a modified form of the washing machine;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of this modified form of the'machine;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the modified form of the machine; and;

Fig. 7a is a fragmentary vertical section taken onthe line 'l'a-Ja of Figure '7.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged section showing the can cover in the position it assumed as it is delivered to the inclined delivery platform.

' In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3;- and 4 the cans I0" are advanced in an inverted position along trackways II where they are washed and cleaned by apparatus not shown herein, and at the end of the track ways are turned overby apparatus not shown but shown in some of'the previously filed applications of Lester J Williams anddroppe'd in an'upright position on the'roller conveyor platform l2. This platform is sli'dably journalledat its four corners on posts [3. In the normal posittion of the conveyor platform l2- itis dropped to an inclined position so that the upper edges" of bars l4 project above the tops of the rollers whereby when the cans are dropped on the-conveyor from the feed tracks I l they will land on thebars l4.

One end'of theconveyor platform I2 is provided with a link l5. connected to a pivoted lever l6, having a weight I! atone end and a cam roller l9 thereon adapted to rest on and cooperate with a cam 20' on a shaft 2| operated in any suitable manner from a source of power. As this cam is actuated in periodical relation to the movement of the cans and covers the conveyor platform I2 is started toelevate just after a can body is dropped thereon and as this happ'ens'the cans are taken off the edges of bars l4 and rest on the rollers While the conveyor is still in an inclined position. This will cause the cans to move laterally on the conveyor to a laterally displaced position as shown in Fig. 2 where it is then in the plane of movement of the can covers and beneath the point of delivery thereof. Further movement of the cam 20 will cause the conveyor platform l2 to be pivoted upward to the full line position shown in Fig. 2 wherein the can top is in contact with the lower end of a cover delivery chute or plate 22, the inclination and position of which is fixed and which is disposed at the end of the cover supporting and guiding tracks.

As shown in Fig. 3 the covers 23 rest on edge with their necks on the lower track 24 and their tops inclined to bear against top tracks 25. The covers are advanced along these tracks in successive steps in accordance with the mechanism shown and described in detail in the above mentioned application. This apparatus is shown generally in Fig. l and comprises crank arm 25, lever 21 connected to the lower end of lever 28 pivoted at 29 and the upper end of which is connected in a manner not shown to the mechanism for advancing the covers step by step along the supporting and guiding tracks. The can upsettng device is operated from the same power source by means of link 30, lever 3|, connected pivotally to lever 28. To shove the cans off the conveyor platform l2 after the covers are disposed thereon there is provided the link 32, pivoted on the frame at 33, and connected at its lower end to lever 34, which is connected to reciprocatory bar 35, the end 36 of which will periodically push the cans sidewise off the platform in proper timed relation to the other operations. Viewing Fig. 3, it will be seen that the end. of the lower supporting track 24 is bent to one side to form a trough like track 31 and that the end of the upper track 25 is likewise bent to one side as at 38 but not so much as the lower track. As the covers are then pushed forward onto these portions of the supporting and guiding tracks, the tops will then be swung over so that the can covers will fall over naturally to a proper horizontal position as shown in dotted lines at the left hand end of Fig. 1 and will rest on an end plate or pair of guide bars 39 and 40. A shoulder 4! formed on one of these bars 39 will prevent the covers from sliding backward'when once being pushed forward on to these bars 39 and 40. Further forward movement of the covers under the action of the mechanism and the other covers will cause it toslide on to the inclined delivery platform 22, at the bottom of which is disposed a pivoted latch pin or lever 42 adapted normally to stick up and prevent the cover from sliding off the support. However when a can body is lifted by the mechanism previously described the top of the can body hits the latch pin 42 and moves it so as to release the cover 23 and allow it to slide down on to the top of the adjacent can body, as shown in Fig. 4. The can and cover are then lowered by the lowering of the conveyor l2 through the intermediary of the cam 20 in its further movement and then the ejector bar 36 pushes the can off the conveyor to permit another can to be dropped on to the conveyor and then moved laterally to receive in turn its respective cover.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8, the cans H] are upset and dropped on a platform 43 and are not moved but receive the covers in this position. In this form, the can bodies ID are moved forward upside down by successive action of pawls 44 indicated and operated by intermittent mechanism not shown. This mechanism is driven by connection to lever 45 connected to lever 46 pivoted on the frame at 41 and connected intermediate its length to lever 48 connected at its other end to crank arm 49 connected to shaft Shaft 50 is provided with a cam 5| contacting with cam roller 52 connecting to the lower end of a vertically movable rod 56 pivotally connected to the under side of a pivoted laterally disposed delivery platform or chute 5'! which has an upright flange 58 at one end thereof opposite the delivery end. This chute 51 is pivoted on the frame at 59 and in normal position is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6 ready to receive a can cover from the supporting and guiding tracks. These tracks during most of their length are straight as indicated at 60 and 5| against which the back of the cover rests in is also bent as at 63. The movement of the cover under the activation of the advancing mechanism and the other covers will then cause the top of the cover to be swung over so that the cover will fall over to a position as indicated in Fig. 8 Where it will rest at the bottom on the trough like track 62 and also rest on the bar or rod 64 in a somewhat flat but slightly inclined position and in this position will be advanced along the track 62 and the rod 64 until it moves onto the rear end of the delivery chute or platform 51 which is in position to receive it. After this happens the cam 5| is operated in proper sequence to tilt the delivery chute 5'! to the full line position shown in Fig. 6 whereupon the cover will slide down the chute and be disposed upon top of the can body which is disposed in position at the lower end of the chute in which position it finds itself after being upset.

The upsetting of the cans is similar to that described in my application Serial No. 468,184 filed July 15, 1930 for a Can and cover washing machine and is briefly and generally as follows: As the cans move to the left in Fig. '7 they pass on to a platform 65 and enter a U-shaped yoke pivoted on shaft 66 and operated by sprocket 61. The yoke is swivelled to turn the can over and drop it on to the lower platform 43. The sprocket is engaged by a chain 69 passing thereover and connected at one end to the upper end of lever and at the other end to the lower end of the same lever. This lever 10 is connected to lever H. and is pivoted at 12 to the frame. Lever H is connected pivotally to lever 28 previously mentioned which operates the cover advancing device.

As previously described after a can receives its cover thereon it is shoved off the platform 43 by means of ejector bar 36 in the manner above described with respect to Fig. 1.

It will therefore be seen that in this invention cans of any suitable or desired size may be washed and properly related to their covers which have also been washed and all automatically. The one form requires the cans to be moved laterally after being uprighted to pass them to a .cover receiving position after which they are elevated on their platform to engage the cover delivery chute to release the cover thereon. In the other form, the cans are uprighted and then the Washed covers areadvanced to a delivery chute which is then actuated to pass the covers laterally to the top of the can body in a plane offset from the general plane of advance of the covers while they are being washed. Further advantages reside in the provision of theprotective means for the roller conveyor, when the cans are dropped thereon and the automatic means whereby the cans are shifted on the conveyor to the laterally displaced cover receiving position. 'The invention has the further advantage in that the covers are now tipped from the edge position during washing to the fiat or substantially horizontal position just prior to delivery by means of the offset or diversion of the supporting track direction whereby the bottom is directed one way and the top the other so that the advancing cover is forced to fall over to the desired somewhat flat or entirely flat position as the case may be, and no special tipping mechanism is required.

While the invention has been described in detail and with respect to a present preferred form thereof it is not to be limited to such details and forms since many changes and modifications may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest aspects. Hence it is desired to cover any and all forms and modifications of the invention which maycome within the language or scope of any one or more of the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is:

1'. A can handling machine which comprises means for advancing can bodies therethrough in an inverted position, means for uprighting the cans, means for guiding the cans from the uprighted position laterally to the line of movement of the advancing can bodies, means for tilting the last named means to permit the righted cans to slide from righted position to cover re ceiving position, means to convey can covers to a point above said first mentioned means at the cover receiving position, means for releasably holding the covers at said point and means actuated by the can as it is elevated by the tilting of said first mentioned means for operating the cover holding means to release the cover for delivery to the can.

2. A can handling machine which comprises means for advancing can bodies therethrough in an inverted position, means for uprighting the cans, means including a can receiving conveyor platform for guiding the cans from the uprighted position laterally of the line of movement of the advancing can bodies, means for mounting said conveyor platform for pivotal movement from a normal lowered inclined position to an upper position, means to move the conveyor around its pivotal mounting to lift the same to an inclined position to permit the righted cans to slide from one to the other end of the platform, means to convey can covers to a point adjacent and above last mentioned end of said conveyor platform, means for releasably holding the covers at said point and means actuated by the can as it is elevated by the further upward movement of the conveyor platform for operating said holding means to release the cover for delivery to the can.

3. A can handling machine which comprises means for advancing can bodies therethrough in an inverted position, means for upsetting the cans to an upright position, a roller conveyor platform for receiving said bodies as they are upset, means adjacent to said upsetting means for mounting said platform for pivotal movement from a normal lowered inclined position to an upper position, bars projecting slightly through and above the inclined conveyor to receive the impact of the can bodies thereon, means to move the conveyor around its pivotal mounting to lift the same to an inclined position above the bars whereby the cans will be released from the bars and slide to the other end, means to convey can covers to a point adjacent and above the said other end of said conveyor platform, means for releasably holding the covers at said point and means actuated by the can as it is elevated by the further upward movement of the conveyor platform for operating said holding means to release the cover for delivery to the can.

LESTER J. WILLIAMS. 

